This invention is in the field of infrared detectors. Detectors currently of interest are those of HgCdTe (mercury-cadmium-telluride) on CdTe (cadmium-telluride) substrates. These detector materials are formed from liquid phase epitaxial materials and are intended to be used at 77.degree. K. The usual materials for the electrical connectors to the detectors are metals such as indium, gold, platinum, or combination or alloys of the metals. Unfortunately, these metals have coefficients of thermal expansion different from HgCdTe and CdTe and can cause stress in the material upon cooling to its operational temperature. The instant invention avoids this problem and yields some desirable and unexpected results.